Provides you all the access to the natural wonders that the country has to offer! A tropical country with a long coastline and with more than 7,107 islands, the Philippines offers a wide selection of beaches and islands around its archipelago.

MANILA

Intramuros in Manila was the seat of government in Spanish colonial times, offers glimpses of Manilas historic past. A stroll through the 16th-century walled city takes you to such landmarks as Fort Santiago , San Agustin Church , Manila Cathedral and Casa Manila Museum . Each of these sites [...]

Metro Manila is the political, economic, social, educational, cultural and recreational hub of this vast archipelago of 7,107 islands that is the Philippines. Nowhere else in the Philippines can you acquire a greater dose of local color, a better understanding of the country's multi-faceted culture, or as many glimpses of its contrasts as in this pulsating, vibrant metropolis.

The streets are alive with colorful jeepneys, rumbling buses and sleek automobiles. In old sections of Manila like Intramuros (the old walled city) and Chinatown, clip-clopping horse-drawn carriages pick their way through traffic.

The churches and architecture in Manila date back to the Spanish colonial rule. Intramuros, once the seat of power, is full of our heritage and history.

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GETTING THEREBy AirThe Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are the premier international gateways. More than 30 airlines fly to Manila through here, from different cities around the world.Manila is also accessible from the international airports of Cebu, Clark, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Laoag, Puerto Princesa, and Zamboanga; as well as the other domestic airports throughout the Philippines.

By LandAll major provincial cities would have bus service to Manila. Inquire at your local terminal for schedules and ticketing.

By SeaYou can take a passenger ferry from major ports around the Philippines to the port city of Manila. Inquire at your local port for schedules and ticketing.It is also possible to travel from Sandakan, Malaysia to Zamboanga City,Sulu and Tawi-Tawi via Weesam Express. Then take a flight, boat ride or series of bus rides to Manila.

GETTING AROUNDWhen in Manila, get around as the Manileños do via the colorful, ubiquitous jeepneys. These "kings of the road" not only get you almost everywhere around the city on a minimal fare, they also provide insights into the Filipino psyche and allow a liberal glimpse of pop art. Otherwise there are the buses, air-conditioned or not, which ply the wider, oft-traveled routes like Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA)the major artery which cuts through the metropolis and connects important points from Monumento in the north to Baclaran in the south. The light Rail Transit (LRT) runs overhead from Monumento to Baclaran, cutting through traffic and stopping pre- designated stations along the way. Taxis about along major streets and within commercial and business centers. Tricycles (motorcycles with side cars) and pedicabs (bicycles with side cars) service narrow roads and inner city alleys. In sections of Manila like Binondo in Chinatown and Intramuros, Kalesas or horse-drawn carriages plod through traffic, carrying passengers and goods.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

Tagalog

English

MUST SEES!

San Agustin Church

Manila Bay

Roxas Boulevard

Rizal Park

National Museum

Malacañang Palace / Museum

Ermita District

Intramuros

Fort Santiago

Bonifacio Shrine

Manila Ocean Park

LET’S GO TRY

Balut or a developing duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell.

Halo-Halo or dessert with mixtures of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans, jello and fruits, and served in a tall glass or bowl.

Street foods (kwek-kwek, isaw, etc)

Tuyo (dried fish)

BBQ Chicken and Beer

LET'S GO EXPLORE & EXPERIENCE

Stroll at the wholesaler’s haven of Divisoria, where the more you buy, the cheaper it gets!

Take a moment with the best sunsets in Manila Bay.

Settle down on a picnic mat at Rizal Park.

Find an ihawan (hawker-style grill) that serves different kinds of barbecue.

LET’S GO TO FESTIVAL & EVENTS

Feast of the Black Nazarene (held every January 9 - day-long festival highlighted by a mammoth procession of the image of the Black Nazarene around Quiapo.

Lakbayaw Festival & Sto. Niño de Tondo (held every 16th of January - residents and non-government organizations of Sto. Niño de Tondo conducts a series of cultural activities held in the said community).

Buling-Buling Festival (held every 16th of January- the official cultural dance to honor the miraculous Sto. Niño culminating with the festival of streetdancing).

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

On January 18, 1995, Pope John Paul II offered mass to an estimated 4 to 5 million people at Luneta Park, Manila, Philippines, making it to the Guiness Book of World Records for the Biggest Papal Crowd.

The Basilica of San Sebastian is the only steel church in Asia and was the second building to be made out of steel, next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The name 'Manila' has a special meaning. The original name was "MayNilad". The name means: 'where the blossoming water plants grow'.

Spanish style house, monasteries, churches and schools were build within walls of Intramuros. Seven gates were the connection with 'the outside world'.

The flagpole located in Rizal Park, is where the starts of 0 kilometer reading in measuring all distances from Manila.

The first ice cream parlor in the Philippines was called Clarke's Cafe located at Plaza Moraga in Binondo. It opened sometime in 1899.

BEST TIME TO TRAVELBeing a tropical city, Manila is hot and sweltering throughout the year. January through June most of the areas of the city are dry. On the other hand, the region is the wettest in the months between July and December. This is the time for you to visit if you want to save some money as you can get cheap tickets to Manila during these months. The best time for you to visit this city would be between December and May. However, do keep in mind that May gets pretty hot in the area.